Wheels which are made for reception of very large width pneumatic tires, for use on off-the-road vehicles, are commonly made in two complementary rim parts and known as split wheels. Each rim part has an outwardly extending flange formation at one end, to retain the tire, an axially extending cylindrical portion which receives the tire, and a radially inwardly extending flange at the other end, with bolt holes extending therethrough. The wheel is assembled with the two inwardly extending flanges against each other, and bolts or similar securing means extend therethrough to secure the wheel portions together. Other bolt holes in these same flanges provide for mounting the assembled wheel on the vehicle.
Problems can arise with wheels of this type in use, when they are to be dismantled or removed from the vehicle. It is very important that the pneumatic tire carried by the wheel be deflated before dismantling of the wheel is attempted. If this is not done, the pressure within the tire will force the two portions to separate violently as the operator starts to dismantle the wheel, with risk of injury to the operator.
Accidental dismantling of the wheel can also happen, quite easily. It is easy to mistake the bolts holding the two wheel sections together for those attaching the assembled wheel to the vehicle. Both sets of bolts are provided on the same inner flanges of the wheel portions. They may even be located on the same circle. When the vehicle has been used for a period of time off-the-road, normally visible distinctions between the two sets of nuts and bolts may become obscured. There is thus a risk that an operator will cause injury to himself, upon attempting to release the nuts and bolts necessary to change a wheel on the vehicle, with the tire thereon inflated, but mistakenly starting to unfasten bolts holding the two wheel sections together.
An object of the present invention is to provide a split wheel assembly in which this risk is minimized or eliminated.